The escalating conflict has been mirrored by a rise in cyber attacks
originating in Ukraine and Russia, research suggests

Hostilities in Ukraine have been mirrored by a shadow cyber war where both sides have opened up an online front, a new analysis of internet traffic suggests.

The number of cyber attacks traded between Ukraine and Russia appears to have risen sharply as relations have worsened with the overthrow of the Yanukovych government and the annexation of Crimea.

The online struggle is being waged by a mixture of state forces, but also criminal gangs, and a ragtag army of independent ‘patriotic hackers’ and activists, experts suggest, and sets a pattern likely to be repeated in future conflicts.

Attacks can range from attempts to damage computer systems, or steal intelligence, to just spreading online propaganda.